Winterwood
by Allanna Stone
Summary: Legolas is rescued from bandits by a mysterious maiden who can control ice and snow while traveling to another kingdom to meet with King Jonathan of Winterwood. When he meets the king's daughter, Elsa, he realizes that she is the maiden who saved him and falls in love with the deadly and dangerous faerie…
1. Chapter 1

**Winterwood**

**I do not own LOTR**

**Legolas is rescued from bandits by a mysterious maiden who can control ice and snow while traveling to another kingdom to meet with King Jonathan of Winterwood. When he meets the king's daughter, Elsa, he realizes that she is the maiden who saved him and falls in love with the deadly and dangerous faerie…**

The woods were quiet.

Too quiet.

Crown Prince Legolas almost didn't sense the attack happening until it was too late.

The bandits seemed to appear from the trees and attacked him. Legogas cursed himself for traveling alone and he began to fight his attackers, but their numbers were far too great for him. His steed went down with a panicked whinny before the prince was forced to fight on the ground, which set him at an advantage as how he was a skilled fighter, but there were too many bandits coming at him for him to fight and make it to Winterwood.

Then something happened.

"Alalaes!" a high voice cried before a hooded person appeared from the trees and began to fight off the bandits almost singlehandedly. It took Legalos only a second to process that the hooded person was fighting the bandits and winning because of her tiny size, she was able to duck under their flailing arms and legs and cut them down with one of dozens of deadly throwing stars she carried in her belt or a broadsword that was made according to her height.

By the time he had recovered from his shock and snapped back into the battle, almost all the bandits were dead and the cloaked fighter's hood had fallen off in the bloody scuffle.

She was stunning with long platinum blonde curls she wore in a side plait, a slender build and blue eyes that seemed to be made of ice. She wore a long sleved teal blue shirt underneath a pale blue tunic, white trousers, well worn leather boots, and carried a quiver of arrows and a bow on her back along with a sheath for her broadsword at her hips in a belt. What was also interesting was that she wore gloves- pale blue with embroidery.

The pale haired maiden didn't even look in Legolas direction as she collected and wiped her throwing stars clean on a bandit's shirt, making it crimson with blood.

"_Idiots,_" she muttered as she straightened up and locked eyes with the elvin prince. "You alright?"

"Yes," he got out before accepting her hand and letting her hoist him up. "Thank you."

She smiled shyly at him, making the crown prince pause. "Whatever is the matter?" she inquired at seeing the strange look pass over his face.

"It's just that… you look like someone," he half lied through his teeth as she stood, her petite figure carried well with a straight back and long legs.

"Might I ask who?" she asked as rain began to sprinkle from the coulds overhead. "Come, follow me- you are heading to Winterwood, are you not?"

"You look like the princess to whom I am bethothed to wed," answered Legolas as she frozed and glanced over at him, her ice blue eyes dancing with many mysteries. "I am Crown Prince Legolas of Mirkwood," he introduced himself with a low bow before petite hands lightly slapped his arm.

"Please do not use formalities with me," she ordered him gently as she walked through the forest, her steps light and airy. "Even the villigers don't ever call me princess- it's just Elsa- nothing more, nothing less."

"I beg pardon," Legolas stated as he eyes the bow on her back. Already his fingers were twitching to try out the strength of the finely carved lady line bow she carried in a quiver on her back along with two dozen arrows with swan feather fletching.

"You didn't know, there's nothing to forgive," she turned and smiled at him.

They traveled in silence for a few minutes, Legolas trying to interpet the stange maiden leading him through the forest towards Winterwood- clearly she was a deadly force to be reckoned with, but yet at the same time, she seemed shy and gentle, the prince overserved as she sheltered a rabbit so that it could go back into it's burrow arcross the pathway.

"You are a skilled fighter," he finally got out. "Where did you learn to fight?"

Elsa giggled, a dainty bell-like sound. "When I was six or seven years old, I asked the guards to teach me to fight like them. They were hesitant at first, but once I showed them I was detirmed to best the lot of them, they all pitched in and taught me something different."

"You're father doesn't mind?" Legolas asked, baffled by the faerie king he was meeting for the first time.

Elsa sighed. "I don't think he does- he never said anything to me or any of the guards who train with me. I've taken to teaching the village children self defence as of early mornings."

Legolas in returned smiled as he placed a hand onto her shoulder, to which Elsa tensed for only a moment before relaxing.

"That sounds interesting," was all that he offered her.

"I figured, if it takes a village to raise a child, then maybe it takes an army of children to save a village from attacks!" Legolas didn't know if she was teasing or not, so he ignored the reasoning behind her words.


	2. Chapter 2

**Winterwood**

**I do not own LOTR**

**Legolas is rescued from bandits by a mysterious maiden who can control ice and snow while traveling to another kingdom to meet with King Jonathan of Winterwood. When he meets the king's daughter, Elsa, he realizes that she is the maiden who saved him and falls in love with the deadly and dangerous faerie…**

Elsa led Legolas to a stone castle before appearing to vanish into thin air. At the very moment she disappeared, the rain began to fall more, a heavy rain. The crown prince was drenched within a few seconds and that made him break out into a run to reach warmth faster.

When he arrived at the stable, a young girl led him towards the great throne room to speak with King Jonathan. She took his bag and quiver with his bow before scuttling off to inform the maids that the prince had arrived at last.

"Welcome! I would apologize for the weather, only I do not control it," chuckled the seven thousand year old elvin king, sinking down into his throne with a smile. "I trust that your journey was pleasent?"

"That isn't the word I would use to describe it," Legolas confessed, trying to think of a way to tell the king about what had happened to him.

"Bandits?" boomed the king after the prince had filled him in. "That is something I can beg forgiveness for- Winterwood had been having trouble with bandits as of lately." He suddenly leaned forwand. "But you said you were not alone, yet you came into Winterwood without anyone else by your side."

Legolas hesitated before thinking that the king would find out who his savior was sooner or later.

"Yes, she came in and saved me from the bandits," he confessed humbly. "She told me that her name was Elsa."

The king chuckled as he sat back in deeper into his throne before brushing a hand over his beard.

"I figured that it would be my daughter," he chuckled before standing to clasp the prince's shoulders. "She is the onlt faeire who knowns the forest better than the back of her hands."

Jonathan than arose, motioning for the young servant girl to enter. "It is late- Erialynn will show you where you shall sleep tonight."

The seven year old girl that had brough the prince in from the stables bowed to the king before motioning for the elvin prince to follow her.

~xoXox~

The following morning, Legatos woke up right before the sun began to rise and got dressed, intending to do a bit a practice before breakfast. He climbed out the window, knowing that he would get lost while wondering the castle hallways.

He soon enough found himself at the training arena, where he stopped at the sight that met his eyes.

Princess Elsa was training with little children besides her, teaching them different fighting styles and gently correcting their many mistakes.

"Widen your stance!" she called, gently kicking a boy's legs further apart. "Angle your body more!" She positioned an older girl more before correcting her grip on her shield. "Much better."

"If an enemy were to attack Winterwood tonight, I dare so to say that the lot of you might be able to hold them off until the army can assemble itself!" she chuckled, mock fighting four younglings at once. "Remember- think outside the box when attacking an enemy! Jump onto them from trees and rocks- throw stones at them- pick off their horses as they come thundering towards Winterwood!"

She squealed as she was jumped by six other younglings, laughing as they all held her down, one on each limb, one on her stomach and one on her chest.

"Give up and you shall live!" crowed one youngling, looking quite smug with himself.

"Never!" she tossed by her head and belted out a laugh.

Legolas came in at that point and quickly picked up the younglings on her stomach and chest.

"Get off her!" he ordered in a strong voice, helping her up with a hand. To his surprise, she was laughing as she dusted herself off.

"Very nice- very nice indeed!" she chortled, a breeze making her braid whip out tiny strands, which danced across her face. "Do that if we should ever be attacked, and Winterwood shall come out as victor!"

The younglings gave out a loud cheer before scampering off towards home.

"You know, I never did get a chance to thank you for saving my life yesterday," Legolas commented as she walked around, collecting the fallen wood weapons.

"There's no need really- I've done the same fore others who chanced upon banits," she shrugged, her arms filled with practice weapons before trotting off towards a shed, where she began to neatly organize everything into their proper spaces. "I've received a few trinkets of thanks here and there and blessings in many lanaguages."

"Are you a skilled shot?" Elsa quickly changed the subject, her eyes on the bow on the prince's back.

"I'm fairly desent," he modestly boasted.

"Maybe we could match each other after I'm done picking up here?" she suggested timidly, turning around and smiling when she saw the elvin prince with the rest of the practice weapons in his arms, which she quickly assembeled into their rightful places. "I thank you deeply."

"I would like to practice with you, that is, if you don't mind, Elsa," he smiled down at her as she picked up her own bow and quiver of arrows, which she slung over her back.

"I mostly taught myself how to shoot- I'm not terribly good when it comes down to it," she bashfully confessed as she led the way towards the archery range for practice.


	3. Chapter 3

**Winterwood**

**I do not own LOTR**

**Legolas is rescued from bandits by a mysterious maiden who can control ice and snow while traveling to another kingdom to meet with King Jonathan of Winterwood. When he meets the king's daughter, Elsa, he realizes that she is the maiden who saved him and falls in love with the deadly and dangerous faerie…**

Later that morning, Legolas found himself sitting in a small dining room just off the main hall with King Jonathan and Princess Elsa, eating a very delicious breakfast. The princess had her eyes on her plate while her father and Legolas talked politics. The elvin prince was aware that Elsa was listening with an alert ear to the conversation that he was having with King Jonathan, and so to help her understand the confusing world of politics, he clarified vocabulary with the king in a subtle manner.

Elsa took the last bite of her breakfast and stood, smiling at a young serving boy who scuttled out from the kitchen to take her plate and silverware to be washed.

"Thom!" she called out before taking two apples from the fruit dish in the center of the table and placing them in a napkin along with some bread and cheese before handing it off to him. "For your sister and yourself; I understand that the two of you love apples," she smiled at the young boy, who bowed, a giant grin on his face.

Legolas smiled at the young princess's kindness. True while she was still an infant in elvin years- twenty one winters old- she was still just as kind and compassionate as any other older elves he knew of. In fact, her young age added a certain beauty to her.

She turned to Legolas and blushed.

"Would you care to come with me into the village? I want to check up on some people who came down with colds last weeks," she explained, accepting her cloak from a servant.

"It would be an honor," responded Legolas, nodding to Jonathan, who stood as well.

"You have fun and be careful Elsa," he ordered her gruffly, bending down to kiss her forehead. "I'm off to the east tower- there seems to be trouble spewing up there again."

"I'll see you at noon meal?" Elsa told him before kissing his own cheek.

Legolas followed Elsa into the kitchen, where she picked up a bag full of loaves of bread, wedges of cheese and fresh meat before adding a few dozen apples to the load.

"Do you want me to carry that?" Legolas asked her as she trotted off towards the stable whistling a merry little tune.

"No thank you- I can handle this load!" she told him before opening the door to the stable with her foot and sending out a loud whistle. Immediately, a young stable boy scuttled from his place up in the hay loft, his eyes widening at who his visitors were. He quickly saddled up two magnificent horses before Elsa handed him a dozen apples to feed the horses and himself with.

"Thank you princess!" he squeaked, almost tumbling over due to the generous gift Elsa had given him.

"You're welcome, Stephan," she smiled kindly at him, making him fall over due to her knowing his name. Legolas chuckled as he hoisted the bag bulging with treats and snacks up onto Elsa's horse before swinging himself up onto the second horse and nodding at the stable boy as Elsa began to lead him towards the small city like village of Winterwood.

When Elsa dismounted, she was attacked by a swarm of young children, who were all pleased to see the princess. She laughed as Legolas dismounted as well, tying both of their horses to a post outside the blacksmith shop.

She danced with them all, forming a giant circle by taking their hands and dancing around in a circle while a few of the more younger shyer children made music with a tambourine and drums, to which Elsa called out dance steps cheerfully.

Legolas watched as she went from holding hands to clapping in a circle to dancing with an eight year old boy.

"Come on, Legolas!" she shouted as she tried to wave him into the fun as well.

He waved back at her, telling her that he was fine sitting out on the sidelines before he was pushed into the dance by two older boys, who whooped and joined in by stomping their feet and clapping their hands along to the beat of the music.

Legolas quickly discovered that he was enjoying himself as he twirled young girls around and following the other children on what to do that he failed to notice what was going on at all until the music stopped and he was smiling down at Elsa, whose cheeks were flushed and eyes dancing with laughter.


End file.
